KU Leuven

Universiteit Leuven
KU Leuven

Latin: Universitas Lovaniensis
Motto	Sedes Sapientiae (Latin)
Motto in English	Seat of Wisdom or Seat of Knowledge
Type	Independent/Free catholic university
Established	1425, 1834, 1970
Endowment	€ 950 million
Chairman	Herman baron Daems
Chancellor	Mgr. André-Joseph Léonard
Rector	Rik Torfs
Administrative staff	11,534
Students	55,484 (2014-15)
Doctoral students	4,272
Location	Leuven,  Belgium 50°52′41″N 4°42′00″E / 50.878°N 4.700°E / 50.878; 4.700Coordinates: 50°52′41″N 4°42′00″E / 50.878°N 4.700°E / 50.878; 4.700
Campus	Main (urban) campus in Leuven and satellite campuses in Aalst, Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Diepenbeek, Geel, Ghent, Kortrijk, Ostend and Sint-Katelijne-Waver
Colors	Blue and white
Mascot	Fons Sapientiae
Affiliations	CLUSTER Coimbra Group EUA, LERU CESAER EQUIS EASN VIU
Website	www.kuleuven.be
Data as of 2014[update]

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Dutch pronunciation: [katoˈlikə ynivɛrsiˈtɛit ˈløːvə(n)],  listen ; Dutch for Catholic University of Leuven, but usually not translated into English to avoid confusion with the Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968)), also known as KU Leuven or University of Leuven, is a Dutch-speaking university in Leuven, Flanders, Belgium.

The University of Leuven was founded at the centre of the historic town of Leuven in 1425, making it Belgium's first university. After being closed in 1797 during the Napoleonic period, the Catholic University of Leuven was "re-founded" in 1834, and is frequently, but controversially, identified as a continuation of the older institution. In 1968 the Catholic University of Leuven split into the Dutch-language Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and the French-language Université catholique de Louvain, which moved to Louvain-la-Neuve in Wallonia. Since the fifteenth century, Louvain, as it is still often called by French speaking Belgians (Flemish speaking Belgians always use Leuven), has been a major contributor to the development of Catholic theology. It is considered the oldest Catholic university still in existence.